Cape Town - More than half of South Africans are dissatisfied with politicians, yet the vast majority - more than 70 percent - still believe in the ability of democracy to bring change, according to a survey released by the Human Sciences Research Council.
Faith in political leaders has deteriorated since 2011, the SA Social Attitudes Survey shows, with metropolitan residents more disillusioned compared to their non-metro counterparts.
The latest survey, conducted late last year, finds that 57 percent of South Africans are dissatisfied with the current crop of political leaders, while just more than a quarter (28 percent) are satisfied.
Although racial minorities are the least satisfied, even among black Africans more than half – 51 percent – are dissatisfied.
Levels of satisfaction declined from 37 percent of black African respondents in 2011 to 33 percent last year.
However, there is no significant difference in attitudes towards politicians between younger and older voters.
These high levels of disillusionment have not translated into a loss of faith in democracy itself, which the HSRC suggests shows a “bifurcated attitude” among voters.
On the one hand, they are sceptical of political leaders but, on the other, they continue to believe democracy is the best system (63 percent).
The survey does not distinguish between political leaders or parties, so the results don’t show whether dissatisfaction is higher for individual leaders or parties.
It is therefore unclear whether these attitudes will have a bearing on the election outcome.
Elections Bureau